It has been a wild and crazy few months in and around the Dueck house; a growing family, coaching, mentoring, speaking, the Paralympics and a few ski trips have been good for the soul, but hard on the body.

Once upon a time as a full time athlete, this kind of workload and travel schedule seem quite manageable, normal even. Now with two kids, a job, bills and an aging body on top a hectic travel schedule seems to be taking a toll on my bag of bones.

There comes a point where something has to change or break.

One-part desperation, one part curiosity, one part opportunity led me to a sensory deprivation chamber, also known as a float tank. I first heard about this technology years ago, the concept had me stoked, however due to lack of availability in the area I was not able to experience the benefits of floating, until now.

So here we go, you get into the water that is filled with over 800lbs of salt to you float right to the top and for a time you are completely free from gravity. The water is the same temp as your body, it is completely dark and in a matter of moments you lose where your body ends and the water begins. After a handful of floats I can speak to the value of taking a moment to be still, it is so good for the mind and body to have a break from our busy lives. I mean shit gets crazy on a daily basis, for all of us; smartphones that never stop, work, play, family, life it all stacks up quick and that can be hard on our state of being.

Sport has the ability to elevate the human spirit beyond the physical, creating synergy with the mind and spirit. It is the potential of the human spirit in motion that drives us to be better and inspires those around us to do the same.

The 2018 Paralympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang have been nothing less than spectacular, with records being broken, personal bests being had and balanced with the inevitable heartbreak of missed opportunity.

A true beauty of sport is the vulnerability one feels the moment before dropping in, that moment of surrender where all things possible are just outside your comfort zone. When we surrender we expose ourselves to the incredible potential that lives within all of us. Sport is no more than an analogy for life.

The game themselves did not disappoint. Much of my time was spent at the Alpine venues, watching racers push the line as Team Canada absolutely crushed it on the daily, seemingly being drawn down by a sea of red and white fans cheering wildly. Witnessing Mac and Jack take the downhill title, the most glorious event kept Canada’s legacy of being a nation of speed alive. Seeing Kurt Oatway ski to victory in Super G was emotional as the seeds of the sit-ski program continue to grow. Our friends from New Zealand, Adam Hall, and Corey Peters both brought great joy to my heart as they skied to the podium and elevated the sport in great ways.

Canada’s curling team was one of the most exciting and emotional rides I have been on, who would have thought? Their semifinal game against China nearly gutted me and had my paralyzed on the edge of my seat for the duration of play. I came into the Paralympics knowing next to nothing about the sport itself and little about the players on the team, I leave Korea not only a fan of the game but also humbled by the synergy the team built throughout their time here.

Speaking of synergy, the energy was palpable at the Nordic venues as Team Canada kept to their ethos teamwork makes the dream work. Their hard work, energy and symbiotic approached elevated all of Team Canada and rippled through the games, inspiring fans near and far. Together we are, (i’m)possible.

Being a reporter for CBC on the front line gave me unprecedented access to the athletes, their incredible stories, the power of sport and the energy of the games in a new way. This was a full circle experience that has increased the depth of my gratitude for the experiences during my time as an athlete, a celebration of community and humanity through movement.

To summarize the games in 5 words | Beauty. Grace. Peace. Gratitude. Love

Since 2014 Josh and I shifted our focus from many things related to running a business to healing and family. Retirement from sport was devastating for our family; we had no idea of the depth and scope of the challenges ahead. No need to go into details because that’s not what this blog is about, but what I will say is that in the dark days, Josh and I once again became ultimately grateful for community.

In the fast-paced world we live in today, entrepreneurs like ourselves are faced with the ever-evolving world of social media and in the few short years we stepped away from promoting our services through digital platforms, we noticed how quickly our brand started to fade – what a lesson for us in business.

We have recently been motivated to get back in the world of digital because we realize we have to for the work we do. The first step was getting our website up and running again and we are extremely happy to have the team from nine10 on our side. This is the third time we have had them help us with web design and we are more than happy with the results. They were completely honest and upfront with what they could provide in the timeline provided. They definitely exceeded all expectations and were extremely professional especially when it came to format and design.

This brings me to my last point and that is elaborating on community. Support and networking through word of mouth are still one of the most valuable ways to spread the word. So thank you nine10 for being part of our team.

Being in Pyeongchang for the 2018 Paralympic Games will mark the third round at the games for me, first time as a reporter. It feels great to be on the other side of the fence watching closely and cheering loudly with the millions of fans around the world as we watch these athletes put it all on the line.

The word hyped seems like a gross understatement; as words often fail to describe emotion. Today is a big day, in so many ways!

The obvious, this is a new website and our first blog. Lacey and I are excited to open the doors and share with you the on going ebb and flow what of what we see as the second chapter in our life story.